Croydon extends licensing consultation

In light of a successful challenge in Enfield on the methodology for a Selective Licensing scheme, Croydon has extended the deadline for their consultation on proposals for the implementation of a Selective Licensing scheme.

Landlords in the area are urged to participate in the consultation in a bid to ensure that local thoughts and opinions are considered.

Croydon has extended the consultation deadline from 17th October 2014 until 2nd March 2015.

For further details on proposals and how to respond visit the Croydon Borough Council website for more details.

About the author

RLA

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) represents the interests of landlords in the private rented sector (PRS) across England and Wales. With over 23,000 subscribing members, and an additional 16,000 registered guests who engage regularly with the association, we are the leading voice of private landlords. Combined, they manage almost half a million properties.

5 Comments

As a Croydon landlord, I have read all their blurb on licensing and attended a consultation meeting with them. Their plan is for borough-wide licensing and therefore not selective. They claim if only parts of Croydon are thus controlled, it would push problem landlords and tenants to other parts of Croydon. By that logic, it would mean adjacent boroughs would suffer the problems. I understand the extended consultation is because they believe they need to contact other councils. There may be objections from them or they may feel compelled to introduce similar schemes to avoid attracting problems from Croydon.

The Council website and survey is horribly biased – it reads like they’ve already made up their minds. Apparently, introducing borough-wide licensing will miraculously “increase landlords’ reputation, increase demand for properties and make sure the area is an attractive place to live” (from Appendix 1). The initial landlord consultation was very poorly promoted by the Council, but I’ve been receiving weekly invitations to comment now the survey is open to the general public – advertised with the entirely unsubstantiated (and not at all biased) statement: “The public are invited to have their say on a landlord licensing scheme that will protect tenants and crack down on rogue landlords” – what’s stopping them cracking down on rogue landlords already? The proposed criteria for a landlord to apply are even more onerous than their current HMO application (which runs to 20 pages); firstly the landlord must be a “fit and proper person” – the Council list various grounds for rejection (see page 6 of their survey), including “Any conduct or business practices which are considered by Croydon Council to indicate unsuitability to be a license holder or manager of a licensed property.” – which is basically a get-out clause allowing them to reject any application. Applicants must also: “demonstrate satisfactory
procedures for dealing with anti-social behaviour” – how do you demonstrate this? They will also require an electrical safety certificate, which isn’t currently a legal requirement.

Thanks for the comments, very well put and instances that the RLA has included in the consultation response to proposals sent to Croydon Council.

I would like to draw your attention to another House of Commons Library document “Anti-social neighbours in private housing” which also holds compelling points regarding private landlords and anti-social tenants.

â€œAs a general rule, landlords are not responsible for the actions of their tenants as long as they have not â€˜authorisedâ€™ the anti-social behaviour. Despite having the power to seek a court order for eviction when tenants exhibit anti-social behaviour, private landlords are free to decide whether or not to take action against their tenants. The question of whether a landlord can be held liable for the nuisance of its tenants has been considered in a number of cases.â€

As you rightly point out, licensing should only be considered if all other options have been exhausted. Unfortunately some councils seem to run out of ideas very quickly and licensing proposals become more and more commonplace.

It is imperative that local landlords respond to consultations because local responses will be more direct.

A borough wide licencing scheme will solve nothing and is simply a job creation scheme for local government. My wife and I have provided good quality well managed private rented property in Croydon for 15 years but are now selling up and will reinvest outside of Croydon.

About Author

RLA

The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) represents the interests of landlords in the private rented sector (PRS) across England and Wales. With over 23,000 subscribing members, and an additional 16,000 registered guests who engage regularly with the association, we are the leading voice of private landlords. Combined, they manage almost half a million properties.